In a historic political debut, Maithili Thakur – a well-known Maithili folk singer – has won the Alinagar Assembly constituency in Bihar, defeating RJD veteran Binod Mishra by 11,730 votes. At just 25 years old, she becomes the youngest-ever MLA in the state.

Her journey to politics has been anything but smooth: Thakur faced repeated rejections in singing reality shows such as Sa Re Ga Ma Pa and Indian Idol Junior before building a massive digital following through her folk performances and YouTube videos. She formally joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in October 2025, and her campaign blended her cultural roots with promises of youth-centric development.

Thakur has expressed that her mission will be to serve “as a daughter” to her constituency, and one of her notable promises is to rename Alinagar to “Sitanagar” to reflect the region’s cultural identity. Her victory is seen by many as a symbol of youth and cultural representation entering the heart of Bihar’s political landscape.